As a kid I grew up in Australia.
I distinctly remember that ‘not sticking out’ was an accepted part of our Jewish upbringing in the Australia of the 1970’s. It was very much consistent with the notion that if we ‘didn’t make waves’ we – the Jewish minority living in Australia – would be less conspicuous, fit in more, and protect ourselves from hatred and acts of anti-semitism. The parents of many of my friends were Holocaust survivors. They had survived the worst tragedies and inhumane cruelty at the hands of the Nazis and their willing cohorts from various countries in the region. They were looking to get as far away as possible. Australia seemed to be the perfect place to migrate to. Naturally, after the traumas of the war years, the older Jews insisted ‘don’t make too much noise or be too conspicuous’. Australia. In one word? Laid back. ‘She’ll be right mate’ was the popular refrain. Australia was thought of as being too far for all the big problems of the ‘big wide world’ to reach its shores. Over the years that peacefulness started to dissipate. Especially during the past few years as public declarations of hatred of Jews started to become all too commonplace. Tragically, whatever vestiges were left of the laid-back peaceful illusion was shattered last week. Life cannot go on as usual. There is a seismic change. The Jews in Australia as standing out and speaking up. From the brokenness, from the pain, from the darkness, a powerful new light is emerging. Rather than hunkering down and hiding, the Jewish community is galvanizing and leading a revolution of moral clarity. For the Jewish community and for the entire population. They are standing side by side, Jews of all backgrounds and types, proud and unapologetic of the special rituals of Judaism. They stand proudly in the public sphere calling attention to the rich identity of Judaism. Chanuka is the time when we are instructed to stick out. Part of the Chanuka mitzvah is to publicize the miracle via lighting the menorah to be visible in the streets. Fifty years ago, the Rebbe took the outwardness expressed by Chanuka and catapulted it to the highest level possible. Click here for more about public menorahs. Today there is not a city in the world in which you will not find public displays of Chanuka My Friend, join the revolution of light and goodness. Not one of us can remain a bystander. Gone are the days when we can hide in the shadows. Today we thrust and are visible in the most powerful light. We each have a responsibility and a purpose. Every Jew is a walking ‘candle of G-d’. It is up to us to embrace our Judaism and be living examples of how a child of G-d ought to act. With purity, moral clarity, kindness and strength. After the attack on the first night, I thought to myself we need to do something on the last night of Chanuka that is ‘out of the box’. The community in Sydney did just that. They thought ‘out of the box’ and gathered more than twenty thousand people to kindle the eight lights of Chanukah. In the same space that bullets took innocent lives, tens of thousands of prayers and blessings and good resolutions filled the air. Hundreds of thousands more watched live from around the world. Below is a link to the replay of the event. Take a few moments to watch some of the powerful scenes as the light powers up dispels and transforms the darkness. More importantly, make a good resolution. Take on yourself a mitzvah. Light the eight candles tonight (it doesn’t have to be in an ‘official menorah’ you can just line up eight tea lights in a row and thus created your improvised menorah) and proclaim to yourself and to those who can see and hear you that: LIGHT DISPELS DARKNESS. Like in the times of the Maccabees, The holy will win over the unholy, Even if they are outnumbered and outweaponed. Hashem is on our side, the side of good and holy. WE WILL WIN EVEN IF IT REQUIRES MIRACLES!!!! Happy Chanuka WE WANT MASHIACH NOW Rabbi Yosef Kantor
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